Budget Rewind - November 2013

It's crazy to look back at how much I bought each month.  Here's November 2013.  The outlet mall opened up, which made J.Crew Factory more accessible to me.  And of course, I had to hit up some black Friday sales.  For the most part, these were good decisions, at least.  Here's the ratings:

Good
F21 Gold chain necklace (similar) : $11 - blogged 23 times, worn many other times, and still like it.  
Gap factory midrise Skinny Jeans: $30 - these were great jeans.  They don't fit right anymore, so I'm getting rid of them, since I have a few pairs of newer jeans that I like.  
J.Crew Factory Camel Cardigan (similar, similar): $24 - blogged 26 times, and worn much more!  I love it when a more expensive item ends up being well under the $1 cost per wear.  
J.Crew Factory Polka dot popover (similar): $31 - blogged 11 times, worn a handful of other times. I probably spent a little more than I should have, but I suspect it will continue to be a favorite shirt in the coming year.  
J.Crew Factory printed button-up shirt (similar): $16 - only blogged 8 times, but I'm sure I've worn it a lot more than that.  I really love this shirt.  
Old Navy red cardigan (exact):  $10 - blogged 11 times.  Just a good basic piece in a perfect red color.  
Old Navy cobalt skirt (similar):  $10 - blogged 13 times.  This skirt was neglected for a few months after I bought it, but then I've worn it a lot.  I just love a knit pencil skirt.  It is starting to look a little rough.  I might keep my eye out for a replacement. 
Old Navy gray/silver flats:  $12 - blogged 33 times.  I bet I've worn these 100+ times.  They are falling apart.  I wore them about a week ago and noticed the back seam is coming apart.  Sad day.  I'll definitely need a replacement for these.  
Old Navy tights (3 pair - brown, gray, tan) (exact): $4 each - I really like Old Navy tights.  They are long enough (yay) and tend to hold up pretty well.  
Steve Madden Kambyy Boots (exact): $95 - blogged 45 times, but again, I bet I've worn them over 100 times.  I remember feeling bad when I bought these, because I hate to spend so much on an item, but it's a way better $100 spent than 5 things that cost $20 and I never wear.  I need to remember this!   

Medium
J.Crew Factory Sylvia wedges black (exact): $59 - blogged 16 times?  I'm actually surprised by that.  I like these a lot, but they are a little bit too big, and I rarely wear heels.  I do think they are a pretty classic shoe, so hopefully they can be my standby basic black pumps for years to come.  
Old Navy cobalt pumps (similar):  $12 - blogged 5 times.  Again, I love these, but they aren't comfortable at all, and I don't wear heels very often.  I'd much rather have some cute cobalt flats.  I think these are going in the sell pile.  

Ugly
F21 Love bracelet (similar): $2 - for how cheap this was, I guess it isn't so terrible, but still.  I could have bought half a frappuccino with that money!  I did probably wear it twice.  

Honorable mention
Kate Spade bow earrings: $14 -I ended up returning these, because I so rarely wear earrings.  This was a good decision!

Budget Rewind - November 2014

I hardly bought anything in November 2014.  Both of these items are solidly in the medium category.  
H&M striped sweater: $10 - I probably haven't worn this 10 times yet, but it has been an easy sweater to throw on.  I suspect I will wear it even more this winter
Gap knit skirt: $10 - I wore this a lot over the summer.  It was a perfect comfortable option post partum.  

So pretty decent last year!  Now in November 2013, I bought a bunch of stuff!  But more about that tomorrow.

November Shopping and LeTote Update

November was another month of minimal shopping!  Just the one dress at Loft, and I used my birthday gift card, so zero budget dollars were spent.   But I will still link up with Franish!  

Dress: Loft (exact - on sale and extra 40% off!)

If you are wondering why the Letote subscription cost isn't there, it's because I went on hold for a month.  I've received 2 more totes since my review of the first month.  So it seemed like a good time for another assessment of things.  Here's what I received in my  4th and 5th totes:

Tote #4 had 7 items in it instead of 5.  I'm not entirely sure why, except that they were doing it to make up for the couple of issues I had with Tote #3.  I pretty much liked everything in this tote.

The green lace tee was so cute that I wore it twice!  The dress had weird sleeves, but nothing a jacket couldn't help.  I really liked the green skirt.  The top was way too tight, so I didn't wear it.  The jewelry was pretty, but I really have no use for jewelry at this point.  I confessed in this post that I put the necklace and bracelet on just for pictures.  I didn't end up wearing the turquoise necklace at all.

Tote #5 also had an extra item.  Again, I have no idea why, but I'm not complaining!  

The dress was really cute and actually fit properly (decent length, not too tight or low cut), but I didn't have any events to wear it for, and I didn't want to wait.  The dog sweater was fun to wear once.  The striped skirt was super long, so I hiked it up a bit, but otherwise really liked it.    And you may recognize that shirt from tote #4.  I liked the style, so requested the next size up.  It was still a little tight in the chest.  I guess it's just not designed for my body type.  I picked out really small jewelry thinking I might make these necklaces work, but still didn't wear them.  But I really like both of them, so might request again.  

So where does that leave me?  I will have probably 1 more tote left in my month when I got off hold.  I think I would really love Letote if I was still working, but as I've said before, I just don't have a reason to get dressed up very often, and I have enough clothes in my closet for those days.  I really think I should cancel, but something is giving me pause.  I guess it's just fun and convenient to get a box of clothes every so often!  But even so, I think it's kind of ridiculous for me at this point in my life.  I would totally recommend it to anyone who isn't a stay-at-home mom.  And they even have maternity now, which I would have really loved a year ago!  

If you are interested in trying it, you can get $25 off your first month with this code.   And you can even give it as a gift, if you have someone you think might like it.  I'll refrain from making an "out of the box" gift idea comment.  Oh wait, I just did.  

Thanksgiving Eve

Here's this fall floral dress again.  I would wear it every day if I had a reason to.  I actually wore this outfit a couple weeks ago for a Veteran's Day celebration at my MIL's elementary school.  I was overdressed, as usual.  

Anyway, happy Thanksgiving eve!  We are staying in town this year and celebrating with the Smith side.  It should be a pretty nice day hanging out with the family.  

I hope everyone has a lovely day celebrating with family and friends and not getting too caught up in Black Friday sales.  Every year, I say I won't go out, and I usually end up going somewhere.  I think Mr. Baby will be a good influence on me staying away from the stores!  

Dress: Loft (exact - on sale and extra 40% off!)

Cardigan: Gap factory (similar)

Belt: Gap (similar)

Boots: Madden (exact)

November Minsgame - week 3

Another week of getting rid of stuff and I'm embarrassed at how easy this is.  Here's the rundown for the week: 

15: started cleaning out my closet.  I'm sending more than 15 items to ThredUp

16: nail polish. I rarely paint my nails and when I do, it's red or pink.  I don't need a drawer full of options.

17: expired spices. Sad.

18: magnets that I've had for so long. Most of these were in my high school locker and then in my office at work. They don't belong in my house anywhere. I have plenty of magnets that I actually like on my fridge.

19-20: I'm counting 2 days for this because it is a carload of random stuff to Goodwill.  I took this picture and then we added about 4 more boxes.  We are cleaning out the storage closet and finding a lot of thingswe really don't need!

21: more than 21 buttons. I've been saving extra buttons forever and I don't remember the last time I needed one to sew back on anything.

It feels good to get rid of all this stuff.  And as we were cleaning out the closet, we had some fun.  John was like "I think we should take a break." And I said "yeah, I'm getting hungry for lunch." But he was like "no, i found this old PlayStation game, we need to play it." So we did.  Cleaning is fun!

Playing in the Leaves

This is what I wore to church last Sunday.  The skirt is from LeTote, and of course, I liked it because it's a knit pencil skirt and it is striped.  Two of my favorite clothing categories.  I'm sad to be wearing tights already, but it's getting cold around here.  

While taking pictures, John decided to throw leaves at me, because fall.  This is the only picture where I don't look terrified.  

Mr. Baby was significantly more excited about the leaves.  We built up a pile for him and let him play the other day.  It was basically the greatest moment of his life.  He loved it. 

Jacket: Target (similar)

Shirt: JCF (similar)

Skirt:  LeTote (use my code to get half off your first month) (similar)

Boots: Madden (exact)

Book Review - Wonder

Wonder is a kid's book, which is why I hadn't read it yet, even though I've seen it all over the place.  I finally picked it up and am so glad I did.  It was a really sweet story.  August is a 5th grader who has pretty severe facial deformity.  Finally healthy enough to attend school after years of being home-schooled, this book follows him through 5th grade.  Chapters are mostly from his perspective, but also his sister and some of his classmates.  Palacio manages to tell a very heartwarming story without getting cheesy.  I may have even teared up in a few places.  I've always been a softy, but being a mom has made me even more sensitive when it comes to kids!      

Book Review - Food

Food is a very funny book.  I've been vaguely aware of Jim Gaffigan for quite awhile, but never watched any of his stand-up, so this was all pretty much new material for me.  I did watch a few YouTube videos and some of it is apparently verbatim from his stand up acts, so if you've been a big fan, some of this book will likely be repetitive.

He just talks about food, specifically in America, and says funny things.  The 2 main sections are about the geographic food identities in the US, and then the rundown of all the fast food options.  I laughed out loud multiple times and read the funniest sections out loud to John.  As someone who thinks most seafood is fairly disgusting, I really appreciated his take on shellfish.  They are giant sea bugs.  His whole spiel about McDonald's was spot on, as well.  Everyone acts like they are too good to eat at McDonald's, but they are serving billions somehow.

Anyway, I thought it was a pretty fun book.  And pretty clean.  Sometimes comedians rely so much on being vulgar, but Gaffigan seems to stay PG while also being hilarious.  It probably helps that he has 5 kids.  Now I want to read his other book.  That might be a good audiobook for our long car ride over the holidays.      

Long Week

This week seemed like a month, and I don't really know why.  Probably because Mr. Baby has his first real cold and has been miserable the past couple of days.  He generally sleeps pretty well, but the last 2 nights have been rough.

In other baby-related news, did I mention Mr. Baby has started eating food?  It's ridiculous and messy and lots of fun.  The other day, he had pears and carrots (parrots) for lunch, and then squash and carrots for dinner (squarrots).  I'm having way too much fun inventing words.  Today, he ate prunes, which look alarmingly like barbecue sauce.  When we finished, he sort of looked like he just ate some ribs.  Which would probably taste much better.  Anyway, I'm going to feed him sweet potatoes on Thanksgiving, because it seems like the festive thing to do.

The outfit is from October.  I liked this top enough to wear it twice before sending it back to LeTote.  Remember you can get $25 off your first month if you sign up using my code.  And I really want you to, so I can get $15 off my next month!

Cardigan: Gap factory (similar)
Top: LeTote (similar)
Jeans: Loft (exact)
Shoes:Old Navy (similar)

Blogiversary Quatro

Has it been 4 years already?  I don't know whether to be proud or ashamed that I've kept this up so long.  Anyway, I figured it would be a good time to share my new favorite dress. I picked this up at Loft last week to replace the birthday sweater that didn't fit right.  You know, not that I needed a new dress, but isn't it pretty??  And I've already worn it twice!

Dress: Loft (exact - on sale and extra 40% off!)
Jacket: JCF (similar)
Shoes: Old Navy (similar)

Box Clothes

Sometimes, I'm like "hmm, what should I wear to such and such event?" and lately my husband is like "just wear some of your box clothes!" I guess he's catching on to the idea of LeTote.

I actually got this top in a recent tote, but it was too tight across my chest, so I didn't end up wearing it.  Then I requested it in the next size up in my next tote, because I thought it was pretty cute and wanted a chance to wear it.  It was still a smidge tighter than I would have liked (seriously, they expect you to be very flat!), but I wore it anyway.  Spellcheck is mad about smidge.  Is that not a word now?  Am I just making things up?

Cardigan: Gap factory (similar)
Top: LeTote
Jeans: Gap (exact)
Shoes: Target (similar)

Dog Sweater

A few years ago, there was a similar dog sweater at Old Navy that I almost bought.  I think every blogger had it. But it didn't seem like the type of thing I would wear often enough to justify buying.   So I was kind of excited when LeTote sent me this one, but kind of disappointed because I really want the giraffe sweater instead.  Oh well, maybe next tote.  

I wore this for a recent Friday night dinner with my 2 favorite guys.  It was a big moment for Mr. Baby.  First time sitting in a restaurant high chair.  He's growing up too fast!  

Sweater:  LeTote (similar)

Jeans: Old Navy (similar, similar)

Shoes: Old Navy (similar)

November Minsgame - Week #2

Another week into November, means getting rid of even more stuff!  Here's the details for this week:

• 9 - cleaned out the kitchen sink cabinet - mostly found old cleaning supplies to trash
• 10 - two of my favorite restaurants give you 32oz plastic to-go cups.  I like them, but have more than I need.  These are going to Goodwill
• 11 - cleaned out the cabinet in our hall bathroom
• 12 - cleaned out my makeup drawer.  I should probably toss more than this, but it's a start. 
• 13 & 14 - for someone who rarely wears jewelry (even more so since Mr. Baby was born), I sure have a lot.  I found 27 jewelry items to get rid of.  So this fits for 2 days!  I'm going to try selling most of this, as it's in pretty good condition. I hope the consignment shop will take it!  

This is starting to get more difficult as the numbers get bigger.  I have to actually think about things instead of grabbing a handful of items.  But still, there's plenty of things in my house to get rid of, I just need to think of them!  

Book Review - The Martian

So after many months of being on the wait list, I finally got a copy of the ebook for The Martian.  You've probably heard of it, or at least the movie.  Well, I'd say it was worth the hype.  I really enjoyed it.

It follows an astronaut who gets stuck on Mars, and the story is mostly told through his daily entries in the log.  Obviously, he has some big struggles staying alive on a planet that humans can't live on.  I was a little worried I would get bored of the scientific explanations of what he was doing and why, but those parts seemed helpful to the context of the story.

Now I just need to find a time to see the movie and compare!

Flare and Hair

These are my new jeans, and I'm kind of loving them.  Except that I'm sure the hems are going to be shredded soon because they drag on the ground when I wear flats, which is almost always.

I've also figured out that I feel fat in pictures when my hair isn't down.  I'm sure it's something about proportions. When my hair is down, it's big, so the rest of me looks smaller, maybe?  But if I'm doing anything with Mr. Baby, I can't really have my hair down, because he thinks it's a toy to pull on and try to eat.  So I guess I better get used to my hair being up!

Sweater: H&M (similar)
Jeans: Loft (exact)
Shoes: Old Navy (similar)

Birthday Lunch Dress

Only about 3 weeks late, here's what I wore for my birthday lunch.  This is one of the dresses I bought at The Limited before our October wedding, but didn't end up wearing it.  But I liked it enough to keep it.  I figure it can be dressed up or down, and should work in all seasons of the year.  The blue belt came with it, but I'll probably switch it out for a black one so I can go crazy with all my different colored cardigans.  

Dress (and belt): Limited (similar)
Jacket: JCF (similar)
Shoes: Target (exact without captoe)

Crazy Sleeves

Here's another LeTote item.  They seem to have a lot of wrap dresses.  Once agin, a cami kept me decent.  I really liked the print of this dress, and that it was longer than mid-thigh.  But it was almost too long, in that it looked weird with flats.  And what is even going on with the sleeves (pictured below)?  I'm glad it was jacket weather.  I'm starting to think the dress options from LeTote aren't going to work so well for me.  They are all too short, too tight, or wrap tops!  

Anyway, I wore this to the first Broadway show of the season with my MIL and SIL.  It's nice to have a little night out and excuse to dress up now and then.  

Jacket: Target (similar)

Dress: LeTote (use my code to get half off your first month)

Shoes: JCF (exact)

November Minsgame - Week 1

Minimalism is all the rage in the blogosphere these days.  I will likely never be a minimalist, but I have had the itch to get rid of stuff in the last year or so.  I haven't done as much as I want, and I have a million mostly legitimate excuses.  Like being exhausted/sick while my body built a human.  Or not knowing what clothes I will want or fit into, so being afraid of getting rid of anything.  

Long story short, when I heard about the Minsgame that Break the Twitch, One Girl Two Cities, Simply Save, and SocialSara612 are hosting in November, I figured this would be a fun way to get jump started on de-cluttering my house.  The basic plan is to get rid of things every day, with the number of things matching the day of the month.  So November 1st, get rid of one thing, November 2nd, two things, and on and on.  To be completely honest, these things aren't getting completely out of my house each day, but I'll be taking trips to Goodwill and selling things as quickly as I can.    

I'll do weekly check-ins on the blog, sharing what I got rid of that week. Week one went as follows:

1. TV - after searching for where I could donate or recycle this, I asked Facebook, and had 2 friends who wanted to take it!  So I gave it to a new home.  
2. Wedding hats. Someone gave us these at our rehearsal dinner, and I've been holding on to them, but why??  I don't see any scenario where I would wear a Bride hat again.  
3. iPhone 5 Cases - don't need these anymore
4. Kitchen canisters.  I've used these for storing baking supplies for many years, but I don't bake that often, so the brown sugar was usually rock hard, and I never knew if something might be expired.  I'm just going to stick with leaving ingredients in their normal packaging.  Plus I have more counter space now!
5. Flip flops and tights that I no longer want.  
6. Wine Glasses - For a couple who rarely drinks wine, we sure had a lot of wine glasses.  I was happy to part with a few that we got for free at local wineries.   
7. (not pictured) Underwear - let's be honest, I do laundry often enough that I don't need a drawer overflowing with underthings.  
8. Belts/Sashes - these mostly came with dresses or shirts, and I never wear them.  

So far, it's been pretty easy.  The bigger number days might get trickier, but unfortunately, I think I have enough excess that it won't be too difficult selecting items to pitch.  I'm hoping I'll be able to sort through my closet in the next week or so and get rid of some things.   

Book Review - Why Not Me?

Mindy Kaling is a celebrity I would totally hang out with.  She just seems really nice and funny, and a little bit awkard.  Her new book, Why Not Me was endearing and fun, just like her previous book.

One thing she talks about is how people always mention that she isn't a "conventional looking" actress and doesn't bow to the pressures of Hollywood.  To this, she says "My deep dark secret is that I absolutely do try to conform to normal standards of beauty. I am just not remotely successful at it."

I thought that was kind of awesome.  Me too, Mindy.  Me too.  

Budget Rewind - October 2013

October 2013 was a pretty good month (again, birthday month helps keep me in check)!  Some of these things were gifts, but since they were on my wish list, I still think it makes sense to rate them!  

Good: 

J.Crew Factory Coat (gift) (long version)- awesome coat that is super warm.  Has it ever been blogged??
Harvey's Seatbelt Bag (gift) (Exact)- I've wanted a Harvey's purse forever so I was pumped to finally get this one!  It's pretty much the only purse I have used in the last two years, Except now I mostly use a diaper bag.
Steve Madden boots (gift) (exact)- I've worn these too many times to count (including almost 70 blog posts) and even bought the exact same boots in brown.  Pretty much a staple for getting through Midwest winters.  
Limited White Skinny Jeans (similar):  $25 - a little more than I'd have liked to spend, but 2 years later, I've worn them a lot and still do.   
Limited Oatmeal Boyfriend Cardigan (similar): $14 - another great neutral item for the closet.  Blogged 11 times, and surely worn quite a bit more.  

Old Navy gray tights (similar): $10 - frequently worn.  I guess I like the dark gray tights better than black sometimes.  

Old Navy Pointy-Toe Ankle Strap flats  (similar): $23 - I had my eye on these shoes for quite awhile but was hoping for a sale.  Then I went ahead and bought them and I'm so glad I did!  With 44 blog appearances, and who knows how many other times I've worn them, definitely worth the price.  They are starting to look a little rough.  I think it would be wise for me to invest in a higher quality version. 

MediumConverse Chuck Taylors (similar):  $45 - well, my old Chucks were chewed on by a friend's dog and I was anxious to replace them.  I bought these ones when I should have waited for normal ones.  These have the weird double tongue where you can fold the top one down, which I'm not going to do.  I mean, I like them and wear them a lot but I wish they were just the plain version 

Gap Leopard Loafers (similar): $25 - how do you categorize something that you really love, but hardly ever wear?  I always think I should wear these, but then feel weird when I put them on and pick a different shoe.  Maybe I'll wear them more this year?  

So yeah, Octobers are nice for shopping, I guess!  

Budget Rewind - October 2014

October 2014 was a good month!  October is usually pretty decent, because my birthday is at the end so I'm not allowed to buy myself anything that someone else might buy me.  

Good

• Target black blouse: $5 - I like this top, and was able to wear it for most of pregnancy, and then immediately after Mr. Baby was born.  It's easy to wear, but looks a little fancy. 
• Gap factory navy boyfriend cardigan: $10 - I am confused that this has only made the blog once.  I wear it all the time.  
• Gap Factory black/gray stripe boyfriend cardigan: $10 - I really like my boyfriend cardigans, and this one is fun because it's got the subtle stripe going on.  
• WSU Hoodie - this was a bday gift, but it was on my wishlist, so I'm including it.  I love it.  Most of my hoodies were from college and getting kind of worn, so it's nice to have a newer one!  

Medium

• Gap bootcut jeans: $17 - I guess I was being sneaky during my Oct14 post, but these were actually maternity jeans.  I didn't wear them as much as I thought I would, because I liked my skinny jeans more.  But for $17, I think they were an okay decision. 
• J.Crew Factory checkered cap: $10 - I've worn this a handful of times, but think I might more this fall/winter.  I really like it, but don't always remember it is an option.  
• Limited outlet navy/white striped dress: $20 - I guess I've only worn this 3 times?  It didn't fit for a few months of pregnancy, so that's one excuse.  I should make sure I wear it more, because I really like it.  

• Gap blue/white striped tee: $3 - I have to confess, it took me some time to figure out what shirt this was.  But once I did, I remembered that I really like it!  

Good job, one year ago Andi!  

October shopping

October was another month of minimal shopping, but I almost spent my budget!  The last minute shopping trip for a dress to wear for a wedding was maybe not the wisest, but I do really like both of the dresses I got.  Of course, neither are online, and I can't even find similar options, so no collage this month.

Limited maroon dress: $30 (worn here) (similar in black)

Limited polka dot dress:$20 (similar)

Letote membership: $40  (you can get your first month for $25 if you use my referral link)

I'm still on the fence about Letote.  I put it on hold for a week so I have time to think about whether I want to keep it another month.  It is fun, and prevents me from shopping, I think.  But I don't know that I need much to prevent me from shopping.  Mr. Baby does a pretty good job.  

Since my birthday is in October, I also got some presents.  These are all from Loft.    

Scarf, Green Sweater, Cherry blossom sweater, Flare Jeans

Both of the sweaters are a tad too small.  Bless her heart, my MIL thinks I'm thinner than I actually am!  So I will need to exchange them.  The jeans were a present from Mr. Baby.  I'm suspicious someone helped him, but all adults deny any involvement.  

Anyway, linking up with Fran and the Budgeting bloggers, as usual.  Just a little late.